MM Fantasy Romance Review: The King’s Man
My rating: 4 of 5 stars The King’s Man: Book I by Anyta Sunday | Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub
Introduction
Anyta Sunday’s new series, The King’s Man, sets the reader loose in a fantasy world rich with magic, intrigue, and slow-burn passion. It’s an exciting departure from Sunday’s usual contemporary romance. I jumped at the chance to read and review the first book in what is supposed to be a six-book series, all following the same characters. The first 30 percent of this book might confuse readers, but sticking with it pays off handsomely in the end.
In the first book of The King’s Man series, we first meet Cael, a half-blood mage in a world where only full-blood mages are allowed to perform magic. Quickly, readers discover the main players in this world of intrigue: Silvius, a mysterious man whose true face Cael does not know, and Quin, a sharp-tongued merchant who is Cael’s constant foil, who is seemingly forever disappointed in Cael’s inability to stay out of trouble.
Or so it seems. What’s truly going on in this world is much, much deeper than initial assumptions..
Excited To See this ARC
I saw this ARC on Booksirens and have enjoyed many, many of Anyta Sunday’s previous works. I snatched up the chance to read and review this book. Once I finished it, pretty much read it in one day, I couldn’t wait to start the second book, so I downloaded it from Kindle Unlimited so I could keep reading.
Blurb
Healing is his calling. Love is his curse. And this is just the beginning.
Cael knows the healing magic is for the privileged, and par-linea like him exist only to serve. But when his forbidden spellbooks vanish and his father arranges his marriage to settle a debt, he flees into the royal woods, where he stumbles upon dying soldiers and a poisoned noble.
Using illegal medius magic, he saves the noble’s life, only to entangle himself in a dangerous game of politics. Now hunted for magic he shouldn’t possess, his only escape is to secretly compete in the mage examinations and prove himself a true vitalian.
But the capital is a den of vipers, and two men stand in his Silvius, the secretive fugitive who saved his life and kissed him like a promise, and Quintus, the sharp-tongued merchant who challenges him at every turn.
Both dangerous.
Both holding secrets.
Both about to change his life forever.
THE KING’S MAN is an epic romantasy filled with slow-burn passion, courageous choices, and the relentless spirit of a healer determined to beat all odds.
This six-book series is one continuous journey and romance arc and is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.
For readers who [like] slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers romance filled with tension. A rebellious healer who refuses to bow to the system. A mysterious noble with a sharp tongue and sharper secrets. Forbidden magic, political intrigue, and high-stakes deception.
Perfect for fans of “The Captive Prince,” “The Magician’s Guild,” and “The Priory of the Orange Tree.”
Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Slow Burn, Magic, Romance
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2025
Pushed Into the Deep End Approach
This is an exciting start to this series. This book has it all: an Inequitable society that favors the rich, characters with hidden identities and unclear motivations, political machinations, and just out of sight court intrigue. There’s also Cael, the nail-bitingly impulsive and utterly charming main character. Healing drives Cael. He’s determined to practice magic. Despite the death sentence getting caught would result in, he knows in his core that he’s capable of it. He dreams of a world where half-blood mages, or pan-linea, can wield the same magic as the privileged linea.
That being said, The King’s Man suffers from many first-book-in-a-series ailments. While it evens out after a while, I initially struggled to understand what was happening.
Plot Summary
Generations of Cael’s family have been healers. Healing is a fundamental part of him. But he wants more. He wants to be a vitalian. A vitalian is a healer who heals with a higher level of magic. Non-vitalian healers like his father heal with folk remedies and lower-level magic.
Big problem though, Cael is a par-linea, or a half-blood. Par-linea are forbidden from practicing magical healing. He cannot even study to become a vitalian. Only pure-blood linea are allowed. He’s risking his life if he ignores these laws and heals people with stronger magic as a par-linea. The government executed Cael’s grandfather because of it.
The thing is, though, Cael knows he’s powerful enough to be a vitalian. He knows deep inside that it’s not fair that only the privileged can become vitalian, just as it is unfair that only the rich and powerful can afford to be healed by them. His sense of moral injustice compels him to rock the boat, to challenge the whole structure of his society, even knowing the risk that if caught, he could be dooming both himself and his entire family to death.
Cael pursues his dreams while being helped along the way by mysterious figures, two figures who have carefully hidden their true identities. But the pathway to victory is hardly clear. It doesn’t help that Cael can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble to save his life.
As the plot thickens, the curtain is pulled back to reveal a rich world imbued with potent herbs, rich magic, attacking wyverns, and a developing love triangle between Cael and two very mysterious characters.
Themes
Several important themes stand out from the first of The King’s Man series.
Forbidden Magic and Fighting a Corrupt and Inequitable System
In a society where only some are allowed to wield the magic that seems innate to their world, Cael deeply feels a sense of injustice. It’s palpable. Why shouldn’t he be allowed to do the magic that he’s able to do? For Cael’s dreams to come true, he will to fight the systems to change the status quo.
Cael just can’t help himself, which at times seems improbable. The trauma of his grandfather being executed for using magic he wasn’t supposed to should cause Cael to at least pause, to feel the danger he’s in. But he pushes forward with little regard for his own safety. He’s lucky he’s got friends in high places, is all I am saying.
“F*ck you, I won’t do what you tell me!”
Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha
High Stakes Political Intrigue and Deception
And oh, what high places! Readers just barely get hints of what’s going on in the broader political realm, and they prompt a lot of questions. It’s only in the last third do readers start to get some answers. But this isn’t a one-and-done thing. This is book one of SIX books, so it’s okay. The true story may still be hidden, but have faith. All will be revealed in time.
Slow-Burn Romance
The slowest of burns, really. I’m all in, fam. I literally can’t wait for this to develop further. I have ideas. Spoilery ideas. Stomach swooping ideas. But I will refrain from speculation at this point.
Characters
There are many, many side characters in this story. Of note, I like Akilah quite a lot, as Cael’s pseudo-sister who’s always got his back. I don’t quite understand if she’s an Akla (a female who is of the servant-class) or just a friend. But she’s Cael’s ride or die, so I am a fan. So many other names, though, from tutors who you’ll be surprised are on Cael’s side, to Fredrica, someone who readers won’t understand just who she is, but who is nonetheless there when Cael needs her to be. The world-weaving is rich with characters.
Cael
Cael is the main character. The story sticks close to him. It’s in close 3rd person, so we are more privy to his feelings than other characters. His motivations drive the story ahead, and the other main characters are drawn to him. Beyond that, I’ve already introduced who Cael is with a fair amount of detail, so I won’t rehash what I’ve already said.
Silvius
Silvius is ‘masked’, meaning his face has been magically altered. So his true identity is unknown. Cael is drawn to him. And Silvius seems drawn to Cael, as he shows up in his life over and over. Silvius is a mystery. Who is he, and what are his motivations? Cael looks forward to his interactions with Silvius and develops a crush on him, which he feels is the start of something, of love.
Quin
Quin is another character who seems to keep popping into Cael’s life, to a much different reception. They seem naturally inclined to butt heads, to antagonize each other. Quin presents himself as a merchant, someone rich and privileged, but who is willing to help pull Cael up by his bootstraps. His motivations are completely hidden, but one starts to get ideas…
Glows
Unique Magic System
While at first it’s hard to get a good image in your head of what magic in this world looks like, once you do. I think readers will find it fascinating. Magic is innate in people, enhanced by consumed herbs and teas. Mages manifest spells able to heal, make someone fly, and more. It’s a very unique take on magic. Once readers find their footing, they will find the whole system super enjoyable.
Grows
Jump In, the Water’s Confusing
After a glance at the map of the world, the book starts mid-scene and dumps the reader right in. There’s a lot of the necessary world-building going on, but it’s confusing. Names for people and magic constructs thrown around without explanations, I read the first third of the book with the sense that I didn’t know at all what was happening.
I understand why an author might throw us into a world like this. They don’t want to show all their cards too early, after all. It’s a valid way to start a book. And I’ve read and reviewed books where this was done to great effect. The difference is, though, that the main character in that book didn’t understand the culture he found himself in. He had an incomplete picture, so it made more sense for the reader to be equally in the dark.
Confusing Start
In this book, though, well. I am not going to sugar-coat this: It was confusing at first. Very confusing. Sure, leave key details hidden in the mist. One wants to keep the plot exciting. It’s ok to leave the reader guessing, where they don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. Sometimes.
But it’s also important to reward initial confusion with an explanation. Balance is key: the reader deserves some explanation. Don’t leave the reader guessing for too long; give them something to start with. If a reader is confused for too long, they might just give up on a book.
Patience, Young Padwan
For what it is worth, I am glad I stuck around, because once the story developed sufficiently, I finally found my bearings. Sunday is a master at her craft, and she has fully imagined a complicated, detailed world for this series. But by choice, it’s one that the reader is initially not supposed to understand.
Patience is needed. Because I think it will all become clear in time. Remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Recommendation
Readers of fantasy romance will enjoy this. I recommend it to anyone who likes Lily Mayne’s Folk series, The Riehse Eshan Series by Adelaide Blaike, The Radiance series by Tavia Lark, and of course, I can’t not mention Captive Prince. If you like any of those, you’ll dive into this one, and after that brief initial struggle, you’ll like it.
Overall
The sky clears in book two. Additionally, action hits faster and more consistently. If you find this first book a bit of a struggle, I want to strongly encourage you to stick with it, because the story emerges and solidifies and is super, super good. Persevere, friend. It’s worth it!
Review Paragraph
I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.
